Automatic safety cut-out for electric circuits



BEST AVAILABLE cor-*- G. woons. AUTOMATIC SAFETY GUT-OUT FOR, ELEGTRIGGIRGUITS.

No. 395,538 Pat ventgd Jan. 1, 1889.

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a pivoted armature, c,forming contact at 1/ with the-line 13, but normally heldopen by a rctractile spring, 8. ll-roin the pivot a wire, B, connects it back to one pole of the generator. flhc armature c is controlled and the contact at (l maintained by an electro-niagnot, c,includcd in the auxiliary-remrn E.- It

' 'will be obvious that any break in the-main conductor 13 will at once opcn the contact atd and the current will cease to flow. In this auniliary return-wire is also included a xa-ri-. able resistance, l, and also, if desirable, a fusible cut-out, (l. 'j'lhe-\'ariable-.resistancc device consists of an clectro-nlagnet ISJIfiVlllg-ltfi coils and armature in the conduct- 'ing=line, the arnntturc restin outwardlyagainst two or more termini of a branched conductor, each branch having a somewhat high resistance, but together offering a con-. ducting. medium equal to the capacity ofthe iconductingqua-in. As theinagnetis ener: ized, itwitlulraws its armature from the contot-pointssuccessively, never, however, leav- -2 5 ferg" iigstrength of thecurren't cutsout or jn, asthe'case maybe,' a greater or lessnumbe'r resistance of the conductor-jasthe strength ol gur ent increases,- and, fvice versa, increasing 3o th'e'conductiyityo'f the line as the strength ofv urrentjdiminishes] These being common levicestheirfunctions need not be described cepting to say that as employed.

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"s'connectionianexcess of currentin the w auxiliaryv return I!) will causea'break by fu- G, andfthus protect the coils of, the .atiablegesistanceinstrument F, while the j1attr'; -instrument-iinsures thelsa fety of the coiljofjhiagnetc, but in order to extend the 0 lienefitof the'circuit-brea-ker to a case where a mere displacement of the main conductor IS-occurs, as in sagging, Iprovide in the refa l theQsupportingpoets-sltort couplings or 5 suspending-linksfiattached to the main conductorinsuch ama-nner as not to interfere with the proper use of the latter, but in case i of dis 'llacement-or sagging of the latter to bring a'breaking-strain upon the conductor E at the point of connection through and by means of the suspending-link. The eonnec c tionof the link f is mechanical entirely, and to insure insulation an insulating-block, f, of any suitable. material, is inserted therein. 5 5 To further insure the breakage of the line E,

the connection of the link f is made to a tigftlielas't in series; Thus the yarying en-j branch contacts, thus increasing 'the BEST AVAlLABLE COP button attached to the arninture r in rear of thecrmtactd. -'-lhe carbon'peucilhis passed. through a supporting-piece, i, in electrical communication with the line ii, and arranged torcst at its lower point upon the contact.- button of the armature and follow downward with the movement of the armature until stopped by the enlargement or head 11 01: the 7 5 carbon pencil, which engages upon thesnpporting-piece i. The elfect is to carry a partial current through the carbon contacts after the metal contacts have separated, thereby preven ting a spark at the latter In the con- 8o tinned falling of the-armature the contact is finally broken at the carbon contacts.

In I i g. 4 lehave shown the arrangement or the circuit breaker in the single circuit. Starting from the generator A, the circuit is traced bywir'e I -to the armature c-th-rough contact (Z to and through the magnet e, thence oyerjthenrain circuit-wire Bto the lamps 'L or other apparatus in which the current is utilized, and thence back to battery. The constructionandarrangement of the cut-outapparatus beingsuchas already fully described, it will be obvious thata breakage of the line 2-at any'point'iwill cause. the arma- .ture c to drop and disconnect the generator. 9-5 I'claim as my invention and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United Statcs' -1. In combination with an electric generator, its conducting-line circuit, and devices-' such. as lamps or motors.for utilizing the cur- I00 rent passing over such circuit, a break-c ircuit armature in circuit in or near the generator 4 held to conducting control by a magnet nor-, mally charged by the electric charge upon the conducting-circuit againstan independent m normally-active withdrawing force'acting automatically to hold the circuit closed while the conducting-line is otherwise intact and charged, and to open the circuit when the conducting-line is broken or impaired at any other no point, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a generator and outgoing conductorof an electric circuit, (as an electric light or power circuit.) a circuitbreaking armature in the-outgoing conductor, 1 r5 an auxiliary wire constituting a return branch of the circuit, and an eleetro-magnet in said return branch controlling the circuit-breakingarmatnre, substantiallr as and for the pn rpose set forth. v v 3. In combination with a general or and outgoing conductor of an electric circuit, (as an electric light or power circuit,) a circuitbreaking armature in the outgoing conductor, an auxiliary wire constituting a return branch 1 z 5 of the circuit and arranged parallel therewith, an eleetro-magnet in said return branch controlling the circuitebreaking armature, and

insulated links connecting the main conductor to the auxiliary wire in such manner that a I30 displacement oft-he main conductor will. sever the auxiliary wire, substantially as and l or the purpose set forth.

4. In an electric lightor power circuit, the 

